Thursday, December 2, 2010

News, Views, This, That. . .

Psychological preparation may be the order of the day on your side of this post. I realize I have a celebrated reputation for digression and a monkey brain, but today I think it's safe to say I am truly all over the place.

I keep a file of bits of miscellanea and absolutely riveting (!) articles and/or notes I take from time to time which I pull out only to discover it's too late to tell you, what was I thinking (?), or it's now or never.

Now or never has arrived. And, the second I finish writing these snippets, I am going to curl my eyelashes, stroke with mascara, don my boots (lots of snow) and take pictures for you.

I'll use my never before thought of by anyone in the world technique of headlines to help you wade through the collection of disconnects.

Customer Complaints

While two of you came right out and told me, I can only assume others are thinking the same thing. In summary: "Why don't you come up with some numbering system or caption your long, long display of pictures so we can figure out what's going on?"

OK, I hear you. (I once worked with a woman who said that all the time -- "I hear you" -- which was her technique to calm the other person right before she did whatever she had planned to do in the first place.)

I promise to take your suggestion under consideration.

(The cup from Zazzle might be an amusing stocking stuffer, plus it takes up lots of room.)

The Infidelity Conundrum

In the weekly calendar I promised a post on infidelity, a raging topic at the moment over here for reasons I do not understand, but that's another story. Since it's the holiday season, starting today with Hanukkah and through the debut of the new year, I thought it seemed like a dreary topic to discuss. I think I'll save it for January -- between Christmas and Valentine's Day, something like that.

Deliciously Toasty

My first recommendation, if one were to buy these, or something similar, or care what I recommend, would be: Treat them like home wear or as we called the category, back in the day, lounge wear, which meant: Don't leave home with them on your body.

As we all know, "lax" (too many women have taken the "re" out of relax) is an understatement for the way many dress these days, but I could conceivably imagine certain young Frenchwomen wearing these in some creative way in public, for the rest of us, they seem like a pretty warm way to stay close to the home fires.

The print separates are from Paul & Joe Sister, the all-in-one, from Sandro.

My New Clarisonic

If she (or he) doesn't already own one, it would be a crime not to offer this miraculous face cleansing brush to someone on your gift list.

Mine arrived with my daughter in September and since I have been using it every day with some of my favorite French products, like Avene's exfoliating, Gommage Doux, once or twice a week and the Gel Demaquillant every day.

It's not just a girl thing, a man would appreciate the Clarisonic if it came accompanied with properly masculine products. It works wonders on dry skin and does give a youthful glow, which is definitely not gender specific.

(Thank you Pseu and Marsi for the recommendation.) My new toy is pictured at the top.

There is serious doubt that a Clarisonic will be found in my town but I do think I have seen Avene around ... so I might get half way lucky ..I blame all problems with captions etc on Picasa and Blogger.. they couldn't leave well enough alone.

Count me among the Clarisonic Fan Girlz. I've had mine for a year and I couldn't live with out it. It's the just little model, the Mia -- but I'm thinking it might be fun to have the big one so I can get the body brush head and take into the shower with me. I just bought some Kiehl's Creme de Corps body wash for my winter skin that I know would be a perfect partner for it. (Or maybe the body brush would fit on my dinky one. Need to investigate.)

As for that "home wear" -- I got a catalogue the other day which was selling, among its cute flannel pjs, something known as a "footy-hoody." All I saw when I looked at it was the world's largest birth control device. As in, no woman who wears one of them is likely ever again to have an intimate encounter. Aagh.

I have been using my Clarisonic for the past 3 weeks and it has made an amazing difference to my skin. It's so much smoother and face creams seem to be absorbed much more easily. I have even bought one for my husband for Christmas.

Think I may put the Clarisonic on my wish-list!Ohh, so glad someone was brave enough to ask about a caption/number system for the pictures. I thought I was the only one who had to keep scrolling back, trying to figure out which picture whas which. I also thought maybe you were giving us an opportunity to use the brain power so we could (hopefully) ward for dementia!! Love the posts of bits and pieces of information - fun.

I have rosacea and the Clarisonic has improved it tremendously. So much so that my dermatologist gave me an A+ on my skin the last time I had an appointment with her. I haven't had any sort of flare-up in the year I've been using the Clarisonic, which is a first since my diagnosis!

Just be sure to use the very gentlest brush available -- it's called the "delicate" -- and don't go over any area of your face more than once at low speed. You may have something resembling a flare-up at first, but carry on. It's normal for your skin to react at first to getting all the buried gunk out.

Ms T - so glad you got one!!! I am in love also. It is AMAZING. I have had so many clogged pores, and now after a few months, and a really good facial, I have very few left. Another facial tomorrow (with a little microderm for good measure) and I will be glowing for months!!!! My skin has never looked this good. EVER!